Ribbon cables are used in a wide range of technical fields, such as, motor vehicle engineering, because they are flexible and enable a plurality of wires to be installed in tight spaces. The ribbon cables are secured in connectors and are electrically connected to contact elements. Although conventional connectors used for this purpose are simple to manufacture, these conventional connectors are often formed such that access to the ribbon cable for contact by the contact elements is limited. Additionally, these conventional connectors afford very little support for the ribbon cable.